The Singapore Turf Club has granted jockey licences to four jockeys, namely Darren Danis, Luis Corrales, Ruan Maia and Charles Perkins to ride at Kranji for the rest of the 2024 season.
Their jockey licences will take effect from 5 February and run till 31 October.
Here is a brief write-up on the four riders.
Darren Danis
Singaporean jockey Darren Danis had been curious about his father and former jockey Luke’s job since young, but only sat on a horse at the age of 17 after his father brought him to the stables. After galloping the horses, Danis changed his mind about becoming a teacher and headed off to Singapore to work under ex-Kranji trainer Brian Dean.
While he was indentured to Dean, Danis rode in barrier trials but eventually made the decision to debut in New Zealand, where he obtained his apprentice jockey’s licence in October 2015. He worked for 10 months with trainers Ken and Bev Kelso before basing himself in Matamata on the North Island with trainers Wayne and Vanessa Hillis.
In 10 years of riding, the 31-year-old jockey has clocked in more than 100 wins, with his first Group level victory and 100th win coming aboard Star Of Justice, trained by former Singapore champion trainer Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson, in the Group 3 Barneswood Farm Stakes last October.
Currently licensed by New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing, Danis sits in 56th position on five wins on the New Zealand jockeys’ premiership.
He goes to scale at 53kgs.
Luis Corrales
(photo courtesy of Macau Jockey Club)
Born in Panama, eight-time Macau champion jockey Luis Corrales was brought to Macau by his uncle and former champion jockey Jose in 1996 at the age of 17 and commenced his apprenticeship at the Macau Jockey Club’s Apprentice School.
A life-threatening race fall in 1997 almost put an end to his career, but after spending a year on the sidelines, Corrales bounced back and was crowned champion apprentice jockey twice in the 1998/1999 and 1999/2000 season, before going on to capture his first Macau champion jockey title in the 2012/2013 season.
The 44-year-old rider has chalked up close to 1600 wins in 28 years of riding and some of his Group 1 wins include the Macau Guineas aboard Bygone Era in 2022 and two Chairman’s Challenge Cup with Ahern (2014) and Sacred Hustler (2015).
Licensed by Macau Jockey Club, Corrales currently sits fourth on 13 wins on the Macau jockeys’ premiership.
Corrales goes to scale at 54.5kgs.
Ruan Maia
35-year-old Brazilian jockey Ruan Maia is no stranger to Kranji having flown here for five visits since 2018 before committing to a one-year stint from January 2020 to January 2021. He has racked up 71 wins in Singapore to-date, including five Group wins, in which two were Group 1 wins with Aramaayo in the 2020 Kranji Mile and the Raffles Cup.
Prior to Singapore, Maia began his riding career in Sao Paulo, Brazil before moving to Macau in September 2016. He won two Macau champion jockey titles in the 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 seasons. His highest acclaims in Brazil came in the 2016 Group 1 J Adhemar de Almeida Prado aboard Maraton, while the 2018 Group 1 Macau Gold Cup with River Control and the 2019 Group 1 Chairman’s Challenge Cup with Mister Kaopu ranked among his top achievements in Macau.
Maia also rode with success in Hong Kong for two seasons from 2021 to 2023. All-up in a career spanning 17 years, Maia has racked up more than 700 wins. Currently licensed by Macau Jockey Club, Maia sits first on 31 wins on the Macau jockeys’ premiership.
He goes to scale at 53kgs.
Charles Perkins
(photo courtesy of Macau Jockey Club)
French jockey Charles Perkins, who dreamed of following his grandfather and uncle’s footsteps in becoming a jockey, grew up in a small village in the south of France and went to work for trainer Criquette Head when he was 15 years old. He rode in four races in France before spending time with trainer Patrick Biancone in the United States of America and also trainer Mark Johnston in the United Kingdom.
The 35-year-old jockey moved to Macau to work as a track rider for trainer Gary Moore before he kicked-off his career as an apprentice jockey in 2012. His first Group 1 win came aboard Master Of Puppets in the 2013 Macau Guineas, before doubling the dose with another Group 1 win in the Chairman’s Challenge Cup with Luck Of Smiling in April that year.
With over 220 wins in 11 years of riding, Perkins, who is also currently licensed by the Macau Jockey Club, sits third on 13 wins on the Macau jockeys’ premiership.
He goes to scale at 53.5kgs.
